Mechanical starter for motor-vehicles



E. J. BENNETT. MECHANICAL STARTER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION HLD ocns, 1918.

1 58,697, Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

E1115 Jnfianngrri ripheral ratchet teeth?) upon its periphery UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIS J. BENNETT, or ALBION, ILLINOIS.

MECHANICAL STARTER FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Application filed October 5, 1918. Serial No. 257,050.

starter for engines of motor vehicles and is particularly designed foruse in connec- 131011 with Ford automoblles, an ob ect of the inventionbeing to provide a mechanical starter which may operated, from thedrivers seat of the automobile for cranking the engine to start thesame, which mechanical starter is simple in construction, durable andwhich in view of its simplicity may be manufactured for a relativelysmall sum.

A further object of this invention isto provide means to preventbreakage of any of the parts of the self starter, in case the engineback-fires, the said means comprising a guard having a cam surface ofgreater radius than the rotating ratchet which rotates the crank' shaft.of the engine, and which cam surface is engaged by a roller carried bythe ratchet rotated pawl for moving the pawl out of engagement with theperipheral teeth of the ratchet to disconnect the ratchet and pawl whenthe engine backfires.

Other obj ects of the invention will appear in the following detaileddescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forminga part of this specification, and in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the im proved mechanical startershowing the same applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the starter, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section through the starter.

Referring more particularly to the-draw-r ings, A indicates the engineof an automobile, andB indicates the dash. The engine A has the usualtype of crankshaft C, which is initially rotated by the mechanicalstarter mechanism generically indicated by thenumeral 1 to start theengine A. p l

The mechanical starter 1 comprises a ratchet 2 which has the usual typeof peand which also has a sleeve l formed thereon and extendinglaterally from one side of the ratchet. The sleeve 4 is connected, by ameans of a pin 5 to the outer flange 6 of the flanged member 7. Theflanged member or disk 7 has an inner flange or collar 8 formed thereonwhich fits snugly about the end of the crank shaft C and which isconnected to the crank shaft by the pin 5, as clearly 1 shown in Fig 3of the drawing, for ro tating the crank shaft upon rotation of theratchet 2.

A pin 10 is carried by the ratchet and projects outwardly from the outerface thereof, having its edges alining with the edges of the crank shaftC and also the edges of the ratchet 2. The pin 10 has a lever 11 mountedthereon, the outer end of which lever has an arm 12 attached thereto. Achain 13 is connected to the arm 12 and passes over a suitable guidepulley 14 which is carried by a supporting bracket 15. The

supporting bracket 15 may be attached in any suitable manner to anyconvenient part of the chassis of the automobile or motor vehicle. Thechain 13, passes from the guiding pulley l lup'wardly over the engine A,and over a uide pulley 16 which is carried by a suita le bracket 17 Thebracket 17 is attached to the dash B of the automo- 'bile, so that. whenthe chain passes over the guide pulley 16 it is adapted to pass throughthe dash B and be positioned for convenient reach by the driver of theautomobile, so that he may crank or' starthis engine fromthe driversseat of the vehicle.

A lever 11 has a pawl 18 pivotally connected thereto, intermediate itsends which pawl is normally held in engagement with any one of theperipheral teeth 3 of the ratchet 2 by a spring 19 so that when thelever 11 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow D in Fig. 2 ofthedrawing,

and as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the

ratchet 2 will be rotated forimparting rotation to the shaft U forcranking theene gine. i

A guard 20 is provided to prevent the.

breaking of'pawl, lever, or any part; of the starter in case the engineback-fires. This guard 20 has a cam face 21 formed thereonthediameter-'ofwhich is greater-than the diameter of the ratchet 2. Aroller 22 is i carried the (pawl 18" wake positioned for riding over thecam surface 21, which will force the pawl 18 outof engagement with theteeth of the ratchet'Q upon there verse rotation of the ratchet andconse-V quently prevent breaking'of any of the parts of the starter. Theguard 20 has a depending bearing 23 formed thereon which en: (rages overthe pin 10 and which is-held safe member 20 andritha's its outer freeend bent and t'o-the engine "Ayat any suitable point, this] spring 26returns the lever. 11 .to its to snugly engage over one of the edges ofthe panE which is carried by all Ford enginesyto hold the guard: againstmovement.

A spring 26 is connected .to the lever 11 normal position as shown insolid lines in Fig. 2, after it hasbeen drawn ov-er, for r0 tating theratchet, by movement pf the ln operatingrftheimpro'i' ed m ch ni i1 thecrank shait-Cgafter the chain has been pulled to-the limit ofitsoutwardmovement,

it is slacked'jand thespring 26*will return the lever to its normalposition, so that upon againpulling the chainthe ratchet will berotated. This operation 'may be repeated until the engine startsproperly. hen the lever llsis returned to its normal position,

by thespring26, the pawl 18-w'ill-be moved out'of engagementwithztheratchet teeth 3 of the ratchet-2, allowing the ratchet theretoto berotated, freelywithout engagement with the" pawl, when the engine'starts'opera-ting or when theratchet'fis rotated'by the, momentunrofxthelrotation of, the crank Changes indeta'i'ls maybe made'withoutdeparting from the "spirit of this invention,

but;

ll'ln amechanical' starter, ion-internal combustion engines, thecombination; or a ratchet wheel,""a lever,-";a pawl 'carrled by the{leverfor engagement with i the ratchet to rotate thel'atterfup'onpivotal'moveinent V g roller carriedby said pawland adapted to V 0f thelever in a' forwarcl direction, a guarc plate" having afi'cam' surfaceconcentric with therat'chet-- wheel and of greater radius than saidratchet, fa roller"'carriedby "sa id pawl saidf'guard' plateto-fmove*the pawl out of and adapted to engage the cam surface ofengagementwith? the ratchet immediately 7 men of said 1ever:= 1

e hame ratchet during the of theleverw 'wgr 1 V 5. In a mechanicalstarter for internal I combustion engines; the-eombinationjof a a] a1 erer rtrgeiaemi zeoinbusuem 'en'g1nes-,- :the cornbination, ref ratchet,va lever, a spring" controlled pawl tion,-a stationary guard platehaving acam surface of greater rad us than the radius ot saldlratchet. aroller "'r'otatably carried by the pawl for engagement with said camsurface to move the pawl out of ergage'ment with the ratchet'tcethduring the reverse movement of the lever, and a spring connected to saidlever for reversing the movement of the lever to returnit'to its normalposition. I V

3. In a hmchaincal starter for internal combustion engines,-thecomblnation, ot a ratchet, alever, a "spring controlled pawl carried by'the lever for engagement nith the ratchet to rotate the latter uponpivotal movement ofthe leverin a forwardfdirfection," a stationaryguard; plate having 7 a cam surface of greater radlus" than the radiusof said: ratchet,-a rolle'rrotatahly carried by r the pawl forengagementwith saidycam sur ,iace-to 'move the pawl out of engagement starter, thechain 13 is first drawn "out-, wardly over; the'ipulleys 14 and-16"which 'moves the-lever 11 into the'dotted lineposi-j 7 tion,rotatingtherratchet and consequently .witlf-the ratchet teeth duringthereverse movement of the lever, va sprlng connected 'to said lever"tor reversing the movement of the lever-to, return: it to its normalposition,

an arm attached to the free end of the lever,

and achain'conneetedto-said arm.

4.'In a mechanlc'al starter for mternal said lever for engagementwithzthe ratchet j to'rotate-th e ratcheti by movementof the lover, astatlonary {guardplatepositioned at one side ot-thesratchet' and havinga cam surface concentric-with ratchet wheel of the ratchet and meanscarried'by said pawl for engagement with said cam surfa'ce to hold thepawl' out of engagement withthe part of each movement combustionengines, 'tl1'6' ;COl1lblI1at'lOH1Of a a ratchet -wheel,sa lever, a,pawlca'rried by ratchet wheelyadever,arpawllcarried by the leverforengagement with the ratchet wheel to rotatethe =latterupon pivotal:movement of thelever in a forward direction, acam 7 concentricwithfltheratchet-wheel, and a roll over said cam to :move' the: pawl outof engagement withthe=ratchet wheel Iimmediwit-h said: shaft, a stubshaft coaxial with and "atelypprior to arrestingof reverse movement l 6=Inmeclianical-;-:starter ifer internal combustion:-engiriiaksgLE-thewombination with the engine shaft: of aratchetwvheelrotatable carriedwbysaid-ratchetwheel, a lever pivoted lever'foriengagement with'the teeth of said to 'said sttiblshafeand ai pawl icarl'-iedby-saiil a ratchet wheel to move the latter in one direction bymovement of said lever, a guard supported by said stub shalt, said guardhaving a curved surface of greater radius struck from the axis of saidstub shaft than the radius of said ratchet wheel, with a cam surfaceleading to said curved surface, and

a member carried by said pawl for riding engagement on the said surfacesof said guard to lift the pawl from engagement 10 with said ratchetwheel upon reverse movement of said lever.

ELLIS J. BENNETT.

